The National Highway (NH) 48 continues to claim lives despite claims by police that they have identified the 15 most accident-prone spots on the expressway and have deployed personnel to regulate traffic.
Data released by the traffic police for the last six-and-a-half-years from 2011 to July 2017 states that NH-48 in Gurugram has claimed 2,968 lives while 6,757 people have been injured in 7,331 total accidents.
The data also shows that from 2011 to July 2017 around 4,571 accidents had taken place during day time while 2,661 occurred in the night.
The most dangerous spots and stretches identified by the traffic police are: Delhi-Gurugram border, Shankar Chowk, Iffco Chowk, Rajiv Chowk, Hero Honda Chowk, Khandsa bus stand, Kherki Daula toll, Narsinghpur village, Rampur Chowk, IMT Chowk, Manesar bus stand, Sidhrawli village, Binola cut, Pachgon Chowk and Bilaspur Chowk. These stretches and spots have recorded 2,808 fatal accidents in the same period.
The most accident prone spot of these 15, is Narsinghpur village where 44 fatal accidents were recorded between 2011 and July 2017. This is followed by the Kherki Daula toll on the Delhi-Gurugram Expressway that saw 39 fatal accidents.
Most of the accidents are caused by pedestrians and sudden entries by vehicles from the service lanes to NH-48. A total of 1,215 pedestrians and 1,014 two-wheeler riders have lost their lives at these killer points.
Among the other dark spots, Bilaspur Chowk saw 38 accidents, Hero Honda Chowk 37, Sidhrawali Village 37, Rajiv Chowk 35, Khandsa Bus Stand 35, Panchgoan Chowk 34, Binola exit 32 and Iffco Chowk 28.
"The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) will improve the condition of NH-48 and concretize those stretches which are in poor shape so that we can curb road accidents. Also, the traffic volume on NH-48 is very high. Around 80,000 vehicles cross the carriageway on daily basis.
"Vehicles move bumper to bumper. The construction work of underpass near Iffco Chowk, Signature tower and Rajiv Chowk on NH-48 is in full swing and these projects suppose to be completed by the end of this year," Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) traffic Simardeep Singh said.
"Once these under passes, Southern Peripheral Road (SPR) and Northern Peripheral Road (NPR) are made operational, the traffic volume on the Express way would be decreased," the DCP added.
Approximately 12 lakh vehicles ply on the expressway and city roads every day and more than 50,000 new vehicles are registered every year in Gurugram.
"The city requires 22 subways, 20 flyovers and more traffic police personnel to control the current traffic problems. At present there are only 314 traffic police personnel in the city to manage busy intersections," a senior NHAI official said.